Rabi sowing gap narrows to 17%; Centre plans for 225 dry districts

Farmers had sown rabi (winter) crops on 108.66 lakh hectares by Friday, 6 November 2026, 17.21% less than the 131.26 lakh hectares covered by the same point last year, according to Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare figures reported this week. The gap has narrowed sharply from a week earlier, when sowing was 46% behind. At the same time, the Centre has drawn up contingency plans to help sowing in 225 districts hit by an erratic, El Nino-linked monsoon, a step officials have rarely needed for the winter season. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is also building a dashboard to guide district officials.

Rabi crops, sown from October and harvested in spring, include wheat, mustard, gram and other pulses. They supply much of India's wheat and edible oilseeds, so a slow start draws attention from farmers, traders, food processors and the government's grain planners alike. This year's monsoon left soil moisture low in many districts, and farmers in several areas held back planting while waiting for better weather.

The latest figures suggest that the delay is being made up quickly. Between 30 October and 6 November, area under rabi crops nearly tripled. One official quoted in reports on the plan said untimely rain in the wheat belt had delayed sowing and that it was expected to speed up. ICAR has said it is too early to conclude that overall sowing will fall, because planting dates vary from place to place.

Oilseeds are the weakest area, with mustard and rapeseed furthest behind. A smaller oilseed area matters for oil mills and for edible oil supply, which is why the contingency advice leans towards these crops. Pulses are also behind.

The contingency plan is meant to help where moisture is too low for wheat. ICAR's chief has suggested oilseeds and pulses as alternatives in such fields, and ICAR has set up a task force on growing oilseeds and pulses on land left fallow after the rice harvest. The government says stocks of fertilisers and certified seeds are adequate, with supply coordinated down to district level. ICAR plans eventually to link the dashboard with AgriStack, the government's digital database of farmers and farmland.

States are making their own plans as well. Madhya Pradesh's agriculture department has issued a rabi 2026-27 contingency plan that divides the state into 10 agro-climatic zones, noting that the Malwa region received very little rain this monsoon.

Peepals calculation: In the week from 30 October to 6 November, sowing rose by 71.1 lakh hectares (108.66 − 37.56), more than the 62.24 lakh hectares added in the same week last year (131.26 − 69.02). The shortfall is now 22.6 lakh hectares (131.26 − 108.66), so this year's area stands at about 83% of last year's (108.66 ÷ 131.26 ≈ 0.83). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Farmers in the 225 districts can expect advice on alternative crops, seeds and timing from district officials. The next weekly figures will show whether the catch-up continues.

Long-term: If oilseed and mustard area stays well below last year, it could affect the supply of edible oil and the earnings of oil mills and traders. A lasting shift from wheat to pulses and oilseeds on dry land would change what many small farmers grow.

Who is affected: Farmers in the dry districts, seed and fertiliser suppliers, oil mills, grain traders, and the agencies that plan wheat procurement.

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